Landon at 6 months

 
 
 
 
Landon is 6 months old today! One of my friends posted reasons why she loved her baby, & I liked her idea.
Here are 6 of the top reasons why I love Landon-
1. He makes me feel calm. I can just hold him & kiss his cheeks, & even just being around him helps me feel at peace.
2. I love how patient he is with me, but especially when he gets LOTS of love from his siblings.
3. I love being able to make him smile or laugh.
4. I love the calm look that he gives to me when he is getting too much attention from his siblings that says, "HELP ME!"
5. I love watching him play with his toes & grasp on to other toys with his cute little hands.
6. I love to hold him & cuddle with him, especially right after he has woken up.
Landon is such a sweet & calm little baby. He loves Morgan, Jackson, & Hallie, and lights up when one of them walks in the room. He loves being around them, and even lets Morgan change his diaper without making a fuss. He is such a little sweetheart, and I am so grateful he came to our family & that he is a part of our every day lives.

The kids had fun taking pictures with him today. I love the look of his face with each of the kids. He looks a little nervous, even though I'm sure he loves it. :)

Pictures

 
 
 
 

I'm not sure if the pictures below posted or not so here they are. I don't expect anyone to read all of it- I wrote a little too much- just like sometimes I talk too much. :)

Birthday & Blessings

 
 
 
 
Brian & I had the perfect weekend planned for my birthday. We figured that because my birthday was on Memorial Day, there would be lots of traffic & people out, so Brian decided to surprise me with plans for Saturday night, without telling me of course. Saturday he had a project he was working on at a friends house & with only having 10 minutes left to be done he bent down to grab a tool & his back locked up. He waited for about 15 minutes & then our friend came & helped him out to the car. When he came home, I was relaxing on the grass with Landon, and watched him open the door and lean on his level as though it was a cane. I didn't realize how much pain he was in until a couple of hours later, when he was still in bed & could barely move. I told Brian that we didn't need to go out, but that we could just stay in & watch a movie & I could go and pick something up. He told me we "had" to go but he didn't want to tell me why, so I had to pin him down, and make him speak. Ha ha ha -not really. He told me that our good friends & next door neighbors had planned a "surprise" birthday dinner for me!!! I was shocked & started crying. One, because I felt bad for Brian & the pain he was in & how I was going to take care of him & 4 kids, and two, to think that I have such good friends who would do something like that for me. Brian was very confused as to why I was crying, afterall, he was the one in pain & shouldn't I be happy there was a party for me--- aaahhh women! :) Brian had really been looking forward to going & especially helping with the surprise, so we decided to go & everyone was so sweet. It was such a nice & relaxing evening for all of us & helped Brian get his mind off the pain. My favorite part though was helping him get dressed before we left. Because he couldn't bend over, I got to help him put his shirt on, his pants on, his socks, & shoes. Not a very easy task for a husband who is extremely ticklish! At least we were both laughing & having fun instead of being discouraged. For some reason though he didn't want to wear his pants hiked up around his waist like I had dressed him. :)
Brian was so sweet! Sunday night he made dinner for me, and then Monday morning he took care of the kids so I could sleep in, even though he could barely move, and was in pain. We decided to just relax for the day so he could stay in bed since it hurt so much for him to move. The kids gave us great entertainment. I went with Jackson & Hallie to get burgers & shakes & we ate in the backyard and then watched the kids run through the sprinklers. Hallie soon decided she had had enough with her swimsuit & decided to take half of it off. Funny girl! I love how much they entertain us. We then went in for a much needed nap. Brian & I watched a movie & fell asleep & then woke up with Brian feeling really sick. So, I went to my parent house so he could get some rest. My parents are wonderful! They were having a barbeque for Memorial Day & my Mom made a yummy red velvet cake for me because she knew Brian didn't have the energy. They sang to me & had me blow out the candles & I felt so blessed & loved. As I blew out the candles, I had my 3 sweet kids with me, Landon stayed home with Brian, and I couldn't help but think of women who have lost their spouse & how lonely they must feel. I felt bad that Brian was in pain, but at the same time, so grateful that he is alive & that I am able to be with him everyday! My Mom was sweet & had the kids stay at their house so Brian & I could just have some time for ourselves. It was not the birthday that I was planning on, however, it was a very sweet birthday & one that I will forever cherish... spending the day with Brian & family & watching my children play in the sun.

I am so blessed! I have such a wonderful family & wonderful in-laws. My mother-in-law asked me to pick my birthday menu for dinner tomorrow & my mouth is watering for her yummy cooking! I am so grateful to have family that loves me!

A couple of days after my birthday, my friends had planned a lunch for me. Brian & I went to the doctors in the morning where he got a nice cortizone (SP?) shot to help his back & then went to bed because he had the chills- poor guy! I took the kids & went to eat lunch. I have such sweet friends & neighbors.

When I was growing up, I always wanted an older brother or sister to teach me things, or give me good advice. I now feel that I have the older sisters I have always wanted. Heavenly Father has richly blessed me with wonderful mothers & sisters in my life, and continues to bless me now with women surrounding me in my neighborhood. These women are women with strength & virtue. Women who I look to & follow daily. These women are not only my friends, but have become my sisters. I can talk with them, laugh with them, & learn from them. I could sit in a room with each of them & they could teach me so much. They are women who inspire me & love me for who I am & support me with all that I am doing in life. They are women who are always willing to help me when I need it most. They are women who care for my general well being, & the wellness of my family. They are women I can pray with & share my faith in Christ with. Sometimes I feel as though the women in my neighborhood are like an army- fighting for good & for our families. I feel as though Heavenly Father has blessed my life with so many pillars of strengh right now to teach me & show his love for me & His daughters. I know that God has given incredible strength to women to work together & as one in building up his kingdom, and I am so grateful for these strong women that surround me.

I have had such a great birthday week & feel so loved from Brian, my kids, family, & friends. What a wonderful life!

Graduation- Kindergarten Style

 
 
 
 
Morgan graduated from kindergarten on May 21st & I am finally posting it. She was so excited, and told me 3 weeks before that she was going to sing a song that was going to make me cry. She started singing it one night (If we hold on together) and I said, "Boo, hoo, hoo!" and asked her if that is how she wanted me to cry. :) As soon as the song ended she looked at me to see if she had made me cry, so I put my finger by my eye, and pretended to wipe a tear away, okay, maybe there was a little bit of water there too. And, I even saw a tear or two in her Daddy's eyes. They did such a good job singing the songs they had learned. It was very entertaining, and I'm hoping her highschool graduation will be filled with fun & interactive songs & stories too. :)
Morgan has had such a wonderful year this year. She has loved her teacher (Mrs. Hyer) & has made some really good friends. She met Lauryn on the 1st day of school, and they instantly became best friends. They are very similar & they play so well together. Lauryn is the kind of girl & friend that every mom wants for their daughter. The first time she came over she thanked me for lunch, told me that it was just like being at Disneyland (which I consider a HUGE compliment), and she even cleared her plate & rinsed it off. She was so polite & Morgan was even more polite when she was with her too- very exciting to have a friend like that. They are so cute together & I look forward to watching them in the coming years. The other picture is with Jackson (obviously) and he was so excited to watch Morgan graduate & see her sing her songs. And, no, Carson, the boy in the picture, is not her boyfriend- yet anyway- :) He is our neighbor and friend & Morgan was able to ride home with him during the week, so I guess he is her "carpool buddy." :) However, the boy singing next to her with the vest & blonde hair sent Morgan a nice note saying, "Call Me!" Yeah, Brian quickly told her to tell Nick to not call her until she was 16 because her Daddy didn't want her talking to boys until then. We'll see how long that plan lasts for. :)
Morgan got the reward for "Perfect Attendance!" She did not miss one single day!!!! I think I should have been up on the stage with her to recieve that reward, afterall, aren't Mom's the ones that make sure there kids are there? So, instead, we went out for lunch. We ordered a shake to split, and Morgan's eyes were huge when she saw it. It was so rewarding being there with my little girl that is growing up. She is such a sweetheart, and I am so proud of her!

Graduation Continued... Pre-School Style

        Jackson was so excited that Daddy was coming to watch him graduate from PreSchool. He even asked me if I could stay home so just Daddy could go with him. Brian told him he didn't want to go unless I was invited to, so thankfully Jackson invited me, Hallie, & Landon to join them. :) I'm so glad Brian was able to go because the kids always do a fun chicken dance song in which they can invite a parent to join them in dancing & singing like a chickin. Of course, much to Brian's hopes & dreams, he is always chosen! Jackson loved dancing with Brian. We noticed while Jackson was singing that he knew all the words pretty well. One of his buddies in class, Wyatt, also knew the words really well, and has the same volume in his voice that Jackson does... LOUD, so the teachers were very smart and put their 2 best singers at opposite ends from each other to balance the rest of the class out. Hallie loved all of it, and even invited herself to join with Jackson and his friends on the fun songs. My favorite song Jackson sang is in this movie- the Dinosaur song. *Hallie is even singing at the end of the movie too. Enjoy!

Chicago

I'm having problems with blogger, and can't get the words next to the pictures, so instead they are under all the pictures.
Brian & I decided we needed a nice break/vacation with just the 2 of us, and Landon of course. I had really wanted to go to San Antonio or San Diego but felt that it would be easier to go there when it was just the 2 of us, so we decided on Chicago. Brian's Uncle Reed & Aunt Karen live there and we thought it would be fun to visit them & then head down to Nauvoo. We had such a nice time. Here are some of the highlights in the order they happened.
* Getting delayed 2 hours after boarding the plane and watching the woman next to us (who would make a perfect character in a book) order red wine. I had to try really hard not to start singing "Red Red Wine" to her. After the 3 hour flight, and 2 hours onboard, it was still entertaining watching her smack her head for the 5th time when we landed. She was very kind and would randomly give us information on the best things to do in Chicago.
* Having a very pleasant conversation with the man next to us & making a new friend.
* Picking up our rental car (which we reserved online) only to find out they didn't have any cars left and we needed to wait for a while before we could get one or we could pay a little more and drive in style. So, after a long day, a 40 minute drive ahead of us & it being 11:15 p.m. we decided to pay a little more.
* Walking outside to see that we would be driving a 2010 Black Ford Explorer-yes, very nice.
* Getting the "Garmin" from Jackie. She looked very tired and I told her I was going to name our "Garmin" after her. She wasn't sure about that idea, but told us to name our next child after her.
*Once in our smooth riding vehicle, we decided to see if Jackie really worked, and the best way to test her was to take a couple of wrong turns. We were very entertained! We were waiting for "Jackie" to say in a mechanical yet patient voice "Turn around you idiot!" :) We practiced for about 10 minutes and then we started getting along with her & were best friends for the rest of the trip. I am now convinced we need a "Jackie" in our car.
*Arriving at Nuttalls & spending time with their cute family.
*Sleeping in.
*Walking around Chicago. Brian and I felt as though are eyes were as wide as saucers! There were SO many things to see and places to look. It was amazing!
*Driving for 4 hours to Nauvoo & just talking with no interuptions.
*Going to the temple with Brian while a ward member watched Landon.
*Eating a really nice dinner & brunch in Nauvoo.
*Feeling the strong spirit of the missionaries serving in Nauvoo, the temple, & Carthage.
*Feeling the amazing & strong spirit in Nauvoo, but especially on Parley Street, knowing that this was the view the saints had when they head west- the Mississippi River in front, and their homes & the temple behind them.
*Going to Carthage & gaining an even stronger testimony of Joseph Smith the prophet, and all that he went through.
Seeing a beautiful sunset that painted the sky with pinks & purples.
*Going on a river boat ride in Chicago & getting a tour of the city.
*Going to Navy Pier & getting a choclate icecream cone (I felt kind of like a little kid) :) and Brian got a Pina Colada.
*Watching a black woman think that Landon was so adorable, that she couldn't help but kiss him on his cheek.
*Talking to a couple, from Australia, in the boat ride line. They were on a 5 week train ride through the U.S. and were headed to Denver and then Salt Lake City. She was very excited to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & visit Temple Square. We mentioned how we had gone to Nauvoo & Carthage and they were very interested. At one point in the conversation she said in her sweet Austrailian accent, "I remember when I was a little girl, 2 men in dark suits came to my home a couple of times. I think they were from your church. I haven't seen them for a while. I hope they haven't given up on us!" We told them they would love temple square and that there were sister missionaries there who could teach them even more. It was a really neat experience.
*Being with Brian for 5 days & spending time with him & Landon.
*Getting on the airplane with the same excitement of going on a vacation, only this time, the excitement was knowing we would see our kids soon.
*Coming home and driving around our neighborhood & area & realizing even more how much I LOVE home!
*Seeing the kids & each of them giving us a huge hug. Hallie had fallen asleep in Grandma Karen's car and when she saw me she wrapped her arms around me and said, "Hi Mommy! I love you Mommy!" She kept saying to Brian, "Hi Daddy!"
We had such a nice time! Now, we're trying to get back to reality. :)

A Mother's Thoughts

 
A couple of weeks ago Brian's Dad showed me this picture of his Dad (Grandpa Doug) when he was a baby. Brian had always said that he thought that Landon looked a lot like his Grandpa, but I had no idea until I saw this picture. I was amazed at the similarities! As I looked back and forth at the picture of Grandpa Doug & then Landon, I couldn't help but wonder what life was like for Grandpa's Mother (Grandma Barb)with her own sweet baby.
I wonder how many times she looked at her little baby in amazement that he was hers, that she, along with the help of others & God's help had brought him into this world. I wonder how many times she looked at him throughout the day and said, "I Love You!" & looked at him hoping that he really could understand how much she loved him. I am sure that she spent many moments during the day thinking about him & what his future would hold... hoping again that she could raise him to be the kind of man that he needed to be. I wonder if she kissed those sweet cheeks a hundred times a day, and could never put him to sleep without one last kiss... or maybe a couple more before she too could retire to bed. I wonder if she just wanted to put life on hold for a while so she could slow down and enjoy the sweet sounds, smells, & feelings a baby brings to a woman's heart & soul. How many times did she pray for his safety, or check on him to make sure he was okay? Did she check on him often while he was asleep just to make sure she could see his chest rising and falling or hear the soft sound of his breath? Did she hope & pray with all her might that she could be the mother that he needed? Did she sacrifice all that she had or wanted to take care of him and be his Mother, or was he along with her other kids all that she truly ever wanted? I am sure she softly ran her fingers up his little body, or kissed his neck just so she could see his smile or hear his contagious laugh. Yes, there are many things to ponder about a baby & his mother.
I feel very close to this woman whom I have never met. I can feel her spirit often watching over Landon, and maybe because he is so much like her boy. I am sure if I were to meet her on the street, I would instantly recognize her as a dear friend & we would talk about the joys that come with womanhood & motherhood.
I am grateful, that even though I haven't met Grandma Barb, she has set an example for me, as all other woman I know have. She has set the example of how to be a fun & loving woman & more importantly a righteous Mother in Zion.
I see this sweet picture and think, 80 years ago, a young mother had her own sweet baby boy. She fed him, taught him, kissed his cheeks, & loved him. And so, for now, I will try to slow down and enjoy the moments of being a mother with a sweet baby boy & 3 other beautiful children & kiss their sweet cheeks & make them laugh as often as I can.